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OPINION: Churches need security, but shouldn't become armed camps

The Greenville News
Published 10:58 a.m. ET Jan. 28, 2018

The Toledo Diocese said Reed Assumption Catholic Church is unsellable due to extensive damage and the presence of asbestos, but former parishioners hope to buy and restore the church and convert it into a museum.(Photo: Sheri Trusty/Correspondent)

One has to look no further than the horrific church shooting at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church three years ago to see that churchgoers are vulnerable to attacks from people intent on doing harm. Nine people including the church's pastor were murdered in a Bible study class by a deranged man who specifically targeted the historic African American church.

Just last November, a man entered a small Baptist church in Texas and killed 26 people. The man appeared to have carefully planned the attack, which authorities believe was the result of a domestic dispute.

With the Texas mass shooting in mind, a state lawmaker from Anderson — Republican Sen. Richard Cash — has introduced legislation that would allow concealed weapon holders to bring their guns to some churches, as long as their pastor agrees to it. Cash's proposal applies only to churches who hold services in schools since guns are banned on school property by law.

Already, South Carolina law doesn't allow guns in churches unless the concealed weapons permit holder has permission from the pastor or other authorized leaders of a church.

The proposed legislation shines a spotlight on an issue church leaders are debating: how to keep parishioners safe without turning their houses of worship into armed camps.

"[Church safety] is absolutely on people's minds," said Lt. Todd Caron of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. Caron and his colleagues offer training to churches and other groups. The demand for such training, he said, has increased. Four hundred people signed up for a recent class at Concord Baptist Church in Anderson, he said.

Churches, especially large ones with many places to enter, are beefing up security. Some are creating security teams to monitor activity in parking lots and inside church facilities, said Caron. These teams sometimes include off duty police officers who are armed.

Without question, churches should have trained personnel who can act as guards. Churches open their doors to everyone and as such, like other public places, church leaders need to exercise caution to protect those who enter their doors.

This requires a balance, however, because some parishioners don't want to worry about who might be carrying a weapon and what might happen as a result.

There's a fine line between being alert for suspicious activity and being engaged in worship.

And the statistics show that to date additional measures — such as Cash's proposed legislation — aren't necessary for our places of worship.

According to the Center for Homicide Research, church shootings are rare. There were 137 shootings at Christian churches from 1986 to 2005. The center does not have more recent data.

But there's no question that when a shooting in a sanctuary reaches the magnitude of the two in Texas and Charleston, it makes many wonder: could it happen here?

Sen. Cash told Greenville News reporter Tim Smiththat gun-free zones are "invitations for people who are disturbed." That may be true; but Smith still found some pastors in the Upstate who were skeptical about allowing any and everyone to bring guns.

There is always the question of how a gun owner would react in a crisis situation such as a mass shooting, one local pastor said.

"What we don't want to do is put people in the pews who can then maybe do more damage than an actual shooter," Bob Howell, senior pastor at Greenville's Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, told Smith. "You don't want someone with a gun shooting in a church with 500 or 600 people sitting there."

"Locally there hasn't been any shooting incidents," said Mike Baker, director of missions for the Williamston-based Palmetto Baptist Association, which represents 24 churches in the Upstate. The association recently hosted a safety class for member churches.

Baker said danger doesn't always come in the form of active shooters. That's why the training — which includes how to spot suspicious people — is so important. "We had someone recently walk into a church with Clorox," he said. "They were stopped before they were able to do anything."

In most instances, trained security teams should be enough to keep people in churches safe. Those in the congregations with law enforcement backgrounds should be tapped to determine what security measures are needed.

The rights of responsible gun owners should always be respected, but so should parishioners who don't want to worship around civilians who are carrying concealed weapons.